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Jaundice

My husband and I have been talking about having another baby since our first born is already six years old. However, my hesitation and fear comes in when I remember the emotional pain I felt when I gave birth to my son. He had jaundice when he came out. So instead of just staying in the hospital for a couple of days, we ended up being confined for almost two weeks. He was on photo therapy and had to take five different types of antibiotics through IV. Even after discharge, we had to visit the doctor twice a week for his condition.

If I get pregnant, I want to make sure that my next baby will not suffer the same condition. Is there a specific cause for jaundice? Can I prevent that from happening to my next baby?

Newborn jaundice is when a baby has high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow substance that the body creates when it replaces old red blood cells. The liver helps break down the substance so it can be removed from the body in the stool.

High levels of bilirubin makes your baby's skin and whites of the eyes look yellow. This is called jaundice.

It is normal for a baby's bilirubin level to be a bit higher after birth.

When the baby is growing in the mother's womb, the placenta removes bilirubin from the baby's body. The placenta is the organ that grows during pregnancy to feed the baby. After birth, the baby's liver starts doing this job. This can take a while.

Most newborns have some yellowing of the skin, or jaundice. This is called "physiological jaundice." It is harmless, and usually is worst when the baby is 2 - 4 days old. It goes away within 2 weeks and doesn't usually cause a problem.

Two types of jaundice may occur in newborns who are breast fed. Both types are usually harmless.

Breastfeeding jaundice is seen in breastfed babies during the first week of life, especially in babies who do not nurse well or if the mother's milk is slow to come in.
Breast milk jaundice may appear in some healthy, breastfed babies after day 7 of life. It usually peaks during weeks 2 and 3. It may last at low levels for a month or more. It may be due to how substances in the breast milk affect how bilirubin breaks down in the liver. Breast milk jaundice is different than breastfeeding jaundice.

Severe newborn jaundice may occur if your baby has a condition that increases the number of red blood cells that need to be replaced in the body, such as:

Abnormal blood cell shapes
Blood type mismatch between the mother and the baby
Bleeding underneath the scalp (cephalohematoma) caused by a difficult delivery
Higher levels of red blood cells, which is more common in small-for-gestational-age babies and some twins
Infection
Lack (deficiency) of certain important proteins, called enzymes
Things that make it harder for the baby's body to remove bilirubin may also lead to more severe jaundice, including:

Certain medications
Congenital infections, such as rubella, syphilis, and others
Diseases that affect the liver or biliary tract, such as cystic fibrosis or hepatitis
Low oxygen level (hypoxia)
Infections (such as sepsis)
Many different genetic or inherited disorders
Babies who are born too early (premature) are more likely to develop jaundice than full-term babies.

It is highly unlikely that your next baby will have jaundice.
I would speak with a medical professional about any health issues that you may have before becoming pregnant. Jut to rule out any underlying causes of your infant previous jaundice.